Trump responds to critics claiming Elon Musk is in control.

At Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, President-elect Donald Trump commended Elon Musk and addressed claims suggesting that the world’s richest man is the one truly in charge.

On Sunday, December 22, President-elect Donald Trump assured supporters that his billionaire ally, Elon Musk, is "not taking the presidency," dismissing claims made by his opponents. The remarks...

Topline: On Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump rejected claims that Elon Musk is running the Republican Party. This follows Musk's role in blocking a government spending bill last week, which led Democrats and Trump’s critics to mockingly refer to Musk as “President Musk.”

Key Facts

During a speech at a Turning Point Action conference, President-elect Donald Trump addressed criticism by joking, “He’s not going to be president—that I can tell you,” referring to Elon Musk. Trump added that his presidency is “safe” since Musk, born in South Africa, cannot legally become president.
Musk criticized a 1,500-page spending bill endorsed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in over 100 posts on his X platform just two days before a potential government shutdown, calling the bill excessively long and expensive.
Trump later opposed the legislation, effectively blocking it from reaching the House floor for a vote. A revised version was approved on Friday, just hours before the shutdown deadline, and subsequently signed into law.
The incident sparked claims about Musk’s influence over the Republican Party, with commentators like Fox News’ Peter Doocy calling him “the center of the universe on Capitol Hill” and Sean Hannity dubbing him the “new sheriff in town.” Democrats even referred to Musk as the de facto president.
Musk, who was the largest donor in the 2024 election, has frequently appeared alongside Trump since the election, attending events like high-profile dinners at Mar-a-Lago and sitting ringside with Trump at a recent UFC match.
Trump’s team dismissed the mockery in a statement from spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, asserting, “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. Full stop.” Musk also downplayed the claims on X, clarifying, “I’m not the author of this proposal,” and credited Trump, Johnson, and Vice President-elect JD Vance for the bill’s revision.